I am recommending that all Duck Hunters call or e mail their Representatives & Senators in DC to Oppose the Action of the USFWS that will strip US PPR / PPJV regions of it's annual federal duck stamp revenues. These revenues are spent to acquire, restore and enhance vital Duck Production Habitat in Iowa's & Minnesota's known portion of the US PPR better known as the PPJV regions. The Dakotas have always gotten more revenue and still do.As duck hunters we are not asking the director of the USFWS to change that. What we are asking is that he and his NEW Plan, not effect present restoration efforts in other key areas of the US PPR / PPJV REGIONS.

To read more into the issue and get a better understanding read the content bellow:

USFWS requests that the Migratory Waterfowl Commission Support a plan to focus protection efforts on Vital Habitat in the Prairie Pot Hole Region. < ------- Notice this request when read as is, is ALL inclusive as it reads( Prairie Pot Hole Region ) The Map of the Prairie Pot Hole Region includes ( Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, western regions of Minnesota, North central regions of Iowa. )

USFWS request that the Migratory Waterfowl Commission also Support a Federal Duck Stamp formula allocation shift that would direct 70% of the Federal Duck Stamp revenues to the Prairie Pot Hole Region. <--Again as it reads , it's all inclusive as a region as a whole ( MT. ND. SD. MN. IA )

Migratory Waterfowl Commission agrees more focus needs to be placed on the Prairie Pot Hole Region and Supports said request by the USFWS.

Days later a revised NAWMP changes what is the Priority Region with in the Entire US PPR placing emphasis on the Dakota's as the Top Priority. Notice I said Dakota's and Not the Prairie Pot Hole Region as it was initially presented to the Migratory Waterfowl Commission.

USFWS and other NGO request and Support the Federal Duck Stamp Increase Bill that is in congress which would raise the Federal Duck Stamp fee from $15 dollars to $25 dollars. This specific Bill and its passage or effort will be sought in 2013.

With the approval of the Migratory Waterfowl commission on the previous issues listed above and under the pretence that it was as a Region as a whole and the revised NAWMP after the Fact, all revenues gained would squarely be funneled directly into the Dakota's with marginal support if any from the federal duck stamp fund going to the other portions of the US PPR states PPJV regions, in the known US PPR Duck Factory to continue OUR goals as waterfowlers to Restore, Protect and Enhance Duck Production Habitat in the Whole US PPR REGION ( MN & IA ppjv regions would take a big hit)

My personal comments to the above are below.

This if you wish to call it A New Sense of Urgency due to Habitat conversion rates in the Dakota's is not something that just popped up on the radar screen. In fact it has been known for over 4 years, read the article, Calm Before the Storm Article by DW.

This NEW PLAN is a retreat by the USFWS that leaves OUR overall presence and Mission as Duck Hunters out on the Prairie Pot Hole Region as a whole weaker because it simply Abandons or down grades the Importance of saving , restoring and protecting vital Duck Production Habitat in other regions of the US PPR. It leaves those other areas with in the US PPR extremely vulnerable and would hinder our ability in other regions of the US PPR to take advantage of New Opportunities to Restore, Protect and Enhance Vital Duck Production Habitat.

In conclusion as a Duck Hunter we cannot allow the USFWS or other to Retreat from the Mission or Redefine it as a whole. When you give up something or sacrifice something very rarely do you ever regain what it was you once had. Your initiative has been lost. In this case we are talking about the security and future of waterfowl Populations and Duck Production Habitat as a whole throughout the US PPR that plays a roll in the overall future of Duck Hunting!

My points are this, when we are in drought and the Dakotas are not producing ducks or adding to the fall flight, historically portions of the US PPR like MN & IA. ppjv regions are wet and producing ducks. Every additional acre we save, restore or enhance in these particular regions of the US PPR are producing ducks when the Dakotas are Not. They are a contributing factor to the fall flight and this effort allows us to continue our Mission as duck hunters to add ducks to the Fall flight why at the same time permanently protecting said vital duck production habitat for the future generations of ducks and duck hunters.

Putting all our eggs into one basket as the USFWS wishes to do, leaves us as Duck Hunters very vulnerable to drought conditions in the Dakotas, with no contribution being made to fall flights.

If 2 million acres of CRP in the Dakotas is producing a fall flight contribution of an additional 2 million ducks, lets continue our mission and work towards restoring and protecting 2 million acres of said vital duck production habitat in MN & Iowa's US PPR / PPJV regions.

At least when drought is a factor in the Dakotas, other portions of the US PPR can pick up the slack and the negative impact less threatening to Duck Hunting in the future. To simply abandon that Opportunity with in the region as a whole, that Mission, that Goal leaves the future of waterfowl populations and duck hunting itself at risk and highly susceptible to unstable season structures. Is that something we want for future generations of Duck Hunters? God I hope Not.

The Proposed Compromise that leads us to a stronger Mission in the US PPR of the Dakotas, why at the same time maintaining present levels of support in other areas of the US PPR / PPJV Regions.

1. Support and Pass the Federal Duck Stamp Bill.2. Fully Support the Federal Duck Stamp Revenue Allocation shift of 70% to the US PPR Region.3. Maintain present Federal Duck Stamp Revenue support with in the US PPR regions of Iowa & Minnesota WHERE every additional acre we restore and protect is adding ducks to the fall flight.4. Demand that Ducks Unlimited put All it's Resources into Duck Production Habitat for the next 5 years.

Synopsis:The increased revenues and support of 1 & 2 WILL DIRECT MORE REVENUES TO THE US PPR REGION OF THE DAKOTA'S, GREATLY INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO SECURE VITAL DUCK PRODUCTION HABITAT NOW. AT THE SAME TIME, MAINTAIN PRESENT REVENUE SUPPORT AND GOALS OUT IN THE US PPR / PPJV REGIONS WHERE EVERY ADDITIONAL ACRE WE PUT DOWN ON THE GROUND IS ADDING DUCKS TO THE FALL FLIGHT!

This action leads to the future security of waterfowl populations and waterfowl hunting as a whole!Ducks are Not dropping out of the SKY from starvation on the wintering grounds FOLKS. If you are not producing ducks to fill the skies , YOU SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PRODUCTION HABITAT ON THE GROUND TO FILL THEM.

Everyone knows about the Mallard population levels of the late 70's, Hell that figure has been the bench mark that drives not only NAWMP objectives but just about every waterfowl conservation program and objective we have.All those Mallards / ducks didnt come from the Dakotas. All US PPR regions where producing ducks at remarkable levels and even if one region wasn't the other picked up the Slack.